The USDA has announced that, due to cold and wet weather in many states, it is providing Approved Insurance Providers the option to allow haying and grazing from the current May 10 deadline to May 22.

The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) identified areas with the May 10 deadline where the wet, cold spring has delayed normal cover crop growth and normal spring planting preparations. There may also be areas where it may not be possible for producers to enter the field to terminate the cover crop or plant at this time.

Producers in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan seeking to continue haying or grazing a cover crop should contact their Approved Insurance Providers (AIP) to discuss eligibility. Because circumstances will be different for each producer, the AIPs may, at their sole discretion, make a determination to approve the request.

Under the existing policy in the seven identified states, a producer must not hay, graze, or harvest a cover crop after May 10, 2013, in order to insure a spring crop. The existing policies also provide specifics of when the cover crop must be terminated before planting the spring crop.

This decision does not affect the date by which the crop must be terminated or the planting dates.